Ordinary Man

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Ordinary Man

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Ordinary Man

Do you believe in fairy-tales? Phelim Byrne and Donnie Hardwidge of [a]Day One[/a] do. They were just a couple of ordinary Bristolian guys, “Livin’ in a bedsit/With no fire exit” (‘Waiting For A Break’) and killing time rapping and mixing in the local studios. Until, that is, Massive Attack got hold of [a]Day One[/a]’s demo tape, signed them to their Melankolic label, flew them to Los Angeles, shacked them up with Beasties producer Mario Caldato Jr, and got in ex-UNKLE virtuoso Tim Goldsworthy to buff up the finished mixes. Wow! [a]Day One[/a], your carriage awaits.

– from ‘Love On The Dole’ – they’re ruined by the irony that half-a-dozen $500-an-hour Yank studio technicians are watching with bated breath.

Pleasant enough thrift store hip-hop dressed in unnecessary studio frippery, then. Cinders went to the ball, but she lost her shoes and came home in a pumpkin. Quite a [I]faux pas[/I], that.

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